Evan’s journey of faith not only tests his faith, but also the love of his family, providing some of the film’s few honest feeling moments. For example, when God tells Evan “Whatever I do, I do because I love you” Evan replies “Do me a favor: love me less.” Or when Joan explains that “Maybe God didn’t mean a literal flood …” it causes Evan to exclaim, “If that’s true, I’m gonna be so pissed.”

“I like stories.” –God

So what does an old story have to teach us? It’s a love story about faith, story, and a plan. It’s a story that goes back to seeing “the original design” of Creation; thus, one of the reasons for the movie’s strong environmentalism message. As the story catches us where we are today, it exposes the sins of modern life such as twisted ideas of beauty (“When you’re in the public eye, image is everything,” says Evan; “You care too much about your outward appearance,” replies God ), corporate greed, political corruption, and idolaters of magnitude (bigger houses, bigger cars).

“I don’t understand why you chose me,” may mark the beginning of Evan’s spiritual journey. Yet, if we try to seek God, we too might start to see Him everywhere. In the seeking, we become transformed into the types of people He wants us to be and the faith result is demonstrated in the doing, even though they seem like the little things, one Act of Random Kindness at a time. By the end, we’re caught up in a dance with God and come to understand that “He chose all of us.”

“So how about it? Feel like living on the edge?” –God

Despite its demonization, Hollywood isn’t stupid. In this post-The Passion of the Christ age, they know there is a market left largely untapped and uncourted and have no qualms about turning over every cushion in the church couch to get at that extra change. The comparisons between Evan Almighty and Bruce Almighty are inevitable with Bruce Almighty feeling more authentic and honest, while Evan Almighty strains to be safe and inoffensive. I had the nagging feeling that I was watching a sequel to Oh God (though I’d take Morgan Freeman over George Burns any day) rather than Bruce Almighty.

A bit more heavy-handed than the first film, Evan Almighty panders to the family-friendly, moral majority crowd and feels a little like preaching to the choir. The laughs are a little forced—I kept waiting for a laugh track cue—slapstick in lieu of organic comedic moments. It’s a Hollywood Sunday School confection—with none of Noah’s post-flood nude, drunken activities—with a genial predictability that succeeds at the expense of being engaging. A harmless film parents can take their kids to guilt-free.